Ms. Overton's Persuasive Letters - Page Text Content

2: February 22, 2010 Dear Cafeteria Employees, In my opinion, we should have juice along with milk in the cafeteria during lunch. One reason we should have juice is that the vitamins will give us healthy bodies. If we are healthy, we will not have an outrageous number of absences. Also, we will have more energy for class because juice has sugar and sugar gives us energy. Thirdly, juice will keep us hydrated better than milk because it has more water and kids who don’t like milk will still have something to drink. In conclusion, juice should be a selection at lunch because it will keep us healthy, give us more energy and keep us hydrated. Sincerely, Joel

3: February 22, 2010 Dear Ms. Overton, I think we should be able to chew gum in class. First, it will help us stay on task and it will help us learn because it will get our brains to work and keep our brains awake. Secondly, there will be fewer distractions. There will be less distractions because everyone is going to be chewing gum and no one is going to be talking to their neighbors. To summarize, we should be able to chew gum in class because it will help us incredibly by helping us learn and listen. It will be magnificent if we can chew gum! Sincerely, Adrian

4: February 22, 2010 Dear Mom and Dad, I believe I should have a TV in my room. One reason I should have a TV in my room is because I can learn more by watching educational shows. The educational shows will also help me understand English better. Another reason I should have a TV in my room is because it will help me stay safe and healthy. For example, I can watch the news so I will know when bad weather is coming and I can wear clothes that will keep me warm and dry. Next, I will be responsible. For example, I won’t drop drinks on the TV or kick it when I’m mad. In conclusion, I believe I should have a TV in my room so I can learn more, stay safe and show you that I’m responsible. Love, your lovely daughter, Jenny

5: February 22, 2010 Dear Mom and Dad, I believe I should get a DSI. First of all, I should get an amazing DSI because it will help me learn more English by reading the words in the games. By reading the storylines and instructions, I will become more comfortable with reading. Second of all, I won't be so incredibly bored. Our trips in the car will be more tranquil, especially when we travel in the car to another state. Lastly, it could help me with writing by helping me improve my spelling and write faster. Also, it could help me with math when I play the cooking games because I will have to use fractions to measure the ingredients. In conclusion, I should get a DSI so I can learn more English, decrease my boredom and get better at writing and math. Love, Your Amazing Nancy

6: February 22, 2010 Dear Mom and Dad, I believe I should get a cell phone for my birthday. The most important reason I should get a phone for my birthday is because it will help me stay safe while walking to school. For example, if someone tries to hurt me I can call for help. I can also call you to come and get me if I’m lost. If I have a phone, I can show you how responsible I am. I will show you I’m responsible by taking good care of my phone. All in all, I believe I should get a cell phone for my birthday because it will help me stay safe and I can use it to show you that I’m responsible. Your sweet, kind daughter, Jasmine

7: February 22, 2010 Dear Mom and Dad, I believe I should get a Play Station Portable (PSP). First of all, I should get a PSP because I will learn more English by reading all the words in the games. It will make me more comfortable with English because I will have to read the storyline and the instructions. Secondly, I should get an amazing PSP so that I won't be bored as much at home and I won't bother you as often. In addition, when we are going somewhere I will play while we are traveling and I will also play at the store. Another reason I should get the PSP is because it could help me learn almost anything. The chat program could help me with writing and the PSP could help me with math if I play fascinating math games on it. In conclusion, I should get the PSP because it will decrease my boredom and increase my learning. Love, Jessica

8: February 22, 2010 Dear Mom and Dad, I believe I should get a cell phone. One reason I should have a cell phone is because it will keep me tremendously safe. For example, if I break a bone in my body, I can call for help. Also, I can call 911 if theres something outrageously wrong at our house or in the neighborhood. Another reason I should have a cell phone is that it will make it easier for you to check on me because you can just call me. Also, if I get a phone, it will teach me to be responsible because I can help you pay for it with my own money. I will not lose it, either. Finally, if I get a phone I will show you I am mature by limiting my talk and text time. All in all, if I get a phone, I will be safe and responsible. Love, Liliana

9: February 22, 2010 Dear Ms. Walsh, I believe we should have an extra recess during the day. The first reason we should have an extra recess is because it can be helpful to our bodies’ health. We will get a lot of exercise to strengthen our bodies and keep us healthy. Fewer people will get sick or doze off in class. Secondly, we will also have healthier brains so we can learn and study more. Extra recess will increase the population of students who are focused and learning. Also, if we have to owe recess, we won't be able to keep our bodies healthy or our brains energized, but if we get to play during a second recess, we will be ready for literacy and we will increase our learning. In conclusion, we should have an extra recess. Sincerely, Luis

10: February 22, 2010 Dear Dad, I believe I should be allowed to play in the back room with my eccentric and dazzling friends. First of all, I need privacy and my own space because I want to talk about girl stuff and play girly games. Second of all, if I’m in the back room I won’t disturb you as much by running around and making loud noises. Thirdly, I won’t fight with my sister or yell at her as often because I will have my own space to play. My sister plays in the back room with her friends and she is only four years old. If my little sister can play in the back room, I should be able to as well. You are always saying, “Be fair,” so you should be fair and let me play in the back room with my friends. Also, I deserve to play back there because I am well behaved. I know it is cold back there, and you are worried because I am petite, but I will wear three sweaters and bring two tremendously large blankets so I can stay warm. All in all, I believe I should be allowed to play in the back room because I need privacy and my own space, I will not bother you or my sister and it is fair. Love, your daughter, Juliet

11: February 22, 2010 Dear Parents, I think I should get more allowance. First of all, if I get more allowance I won't be bored anymore because I will have enough money to go places like Skate City. Also, you will not be annoyed by me as much because I won't be at the house all the time. I will be at parties or Skate City instead. Another reason I should get more allowance is that I will be able to save some money for important things I need. Finally, I can use my extra allowance to help you pay some bills. All in all, I think I should get more allowance. Your son, Jonathan

12: February 22, 2010 Dear Ms. Overton, I believe I should be given more homework. To begin with, having more homework will give me a reason to use my time better. If I’m working on extra homework, I will be watching less TV and my brain will be working all day. Another reason I should receive additional homework is that it will help me learn more and improve my grades because I will be studying more. If I study more, I will know what I need to know for assignments and tests. Also, I will think harder and practice working on subjects I’m not very good at until I catch on and get better at them. The third reason I should have more work is that it will increase my confidence because I will know what I need to and will also be proud of myself for doing my work. As a result, you will be amazed at what incredible work I can do. In addition, I will know I am brilliant at what I do. As you can see, having more homework will help me use my time better, learn more and increase my confidence. Your student, Beatriz

13: February 22, 2010 Dear Mom and Dad, In my opinion, I should have an iPhone. An iPhone will keep me safe. For example, If I got hurt or broke a leg or an arm I could call you and tell you I broke a leg or an arm or both. If I got lost, I could pull out my phone and call you to tell you that I am lost. I should also have an iPhone so that we will have a phone to use if the power goes out. The iPhone has a long battery life so it will still work if the electricity isn't working. Finally, I should have an iPhone so I can check in with you on the phone and play longer with my friends. As you can see, there are many reasons I should have an iPhone. Lots of love, Darren

14: February 22, 2010 Dear Mom, In my opinion, I should be able to walk to and from school. First of all, by walking I will help you save a huge amount of money instead of wasting money. One way you will save money is that you won’t have to drive me to school so you can save money on gas. Also, you won’t have to send me outside to turn on the truck in the morning to warm it up and waste the battery or gas. Another reason that I should walk to and from school is that you won’t have to worry about having to hurry to find the keys to the car in the morning. For example, the other day we lost the keys to the car and we had to find them so we were late. I missed an ample amount of learning. The third reason I should walk to and from school is that you won’t have to wake up at six o’clock in the morning to wake me up when you work late and come home at 1 o’clock in the morning. I would already be ready and all you would have to do is wake up my brother and help him get dressed. To summarize, I should be able to walk to and from school because we will save you money and time and it will increase my learning. Love, your daughter, Lesly

15: February 22, 2010 Dear Mr. Soukup, In my opinion, I should be given more difficult math homework. The first and most important reason I should get more difficult math homework is that I will get better grades. In other words, an increase in homework will challenge my brain because if my homework is more difficult it will make me think more and then I will get better grades. Secondly, I will do my homework instead of playing with my DS and watching TV all day. To put in another way, my brain will not turn into mush because I will not be watching TV as much. Next, I will get tired from working so hard and I will go to sleep earlier at night so I can wake up and get to school sooner in the morning. Also, with more sleep, I will do a dazzling job at school. To summarize, having more difficult math homework will increase my math grades, learning and sleep. All in all, it is unquestionable that I should get more difficult math homework. Sincerely, Litzy

16: February 22, 2010 Dear Parents, I believe I should get a new TV for many reasons. First, the TV that I have is broken because it rolled down the stairs in the old house. Second of all, if I get the TV, I won’t take mom’s TV to watch Saturday’s soccer games. Also, my TV is an old black and white TV. In conclusion, I believe I should get a new TV for many reasons. Your son, Francisco

17: February 22, 2010 Dear Mom and Dad, I think I should get a cell phone. The first reason you should get me a phone is that you could keep track of me. The second reason I should have a phone is so you can stop worrying about where I am. I could go to the movies or shopping with friends and you would know where I am. Thirdly, I would stop bothering you guys as much. Also, I would be safer with a phone. I could walk to school and back home and you could call me to make sure I was safe. I would be so happy if I got a phone. Lastly, my phone would be so new I would watch it like a baby. In conclusion, I should get a phone. Your daughter, Cyntia

18: February 22, 2010 Dear Mr. Renes, I believe we should have scooters to ride on at recess. First of all, we will be safe because we will ride the scooters on the blacktop right by the playground. We will stop with our feel and will not push too hard so we won’t have terrible accidents. Also, by riding on the blacktop we will use up our energy so we’ll be less hyper in class and we’ll be calm so we can learn. Thirdly, we will all have a dazzling time with the scooters. We will be excited to ride them and we won’t be bored at recess. Everyone will have a fantastic afternoon! All in all, we should be able to ride scooters at recess. Sincerely, Joseph

19: February 22, 2010 Dear Ms. Overton, I believe I should take home an anole. If I am chosen to take home an anole, I will buy a terrarium for it. When we go to buy the terrarium, I will make sure it has breathing holes on top. Secondly, I will buy some crickets so the anole won’t starve. I will also put a little water in the terrarium so the anole can drink, but not too much water because I don’t want it to be so deep that the anole will drown. I will be sure to feed the anole every day. Also, I will keep the anole next to a heater so it won’t get cold, but I won’t put it on top of the heater because I wouldn’t want my anole to get too hot. I will be mature enough to handle this wonderful creature. All in all, I believe I should take an anole home. Your student, Fabian

20: February 22, 2010 Dear Mom and Dad, I believe I should be allowed to go to incredible Skate Camp. To start with, if I go to Skate Camp I can stay fit by being active and strong. I will be very safe at Skate Camp. I will wear a helmet and comfortable pads to protect my head, knees and elbows. Also, if I work hard at Skate Camp and am good enough, I could get sponsored and help you pay rent. If you’re worried about paying for Skate Camp, you don’t need to be because one of my teachers found it online and it is free. In conclusion, I should go to Skate Camp because I will be safe, it will help me stay healthy and strong and I could have a career afterwards. Love, your first-class son, Carlos

21: February 22, 2010 Dear Mom and Dad, In my humble opinion, I should be able to play outside more often. First of all, if I am playing outside it will be more tranquil for you inside the house. Second of all, I will get a tremendous amount of exercise and I will use my energy because I won’t be inside playing video games or watching TV. Finally, if I play outside more, I will stay healthier. If I am healthy, I won’t be absent from school so I won’t miss tests at school. All in all, I should get to play outside more often because it will give you peace and quiet in the house, I will get more exercise and use my energy and I will stay healthy. Sincerely, your magnificent son, Gabriel

22: February 22, 2010 Dear Mom and Dad, I think I should get my own bedroom. First of all, I’m growing up and I need my own space and privacy now that I’m getting older. Also, I work hard to get good grades, but I need a tranquil place to do my homework so I can continue to get good grades. Thirdly, if I have my own bedroom I will be able to show you that I’m responsible by cleaning it every day, keeping it organized and letting my brother and sister come in to play. In conclusion, I believe I should have my own bedroom because I’m growing up, I need a place to do my homework and I will be able to show you that I’m responsible. Love, Julia

23: February 22, 2010 Dear Ms. Overton, I think I should be able to go to the bathroom whenever I want. To begin with, if I can use the bathroom whenever I want, I won’t have to ask you and bother you. For example, I won’t interrupt you during reading groups or while you are teaching your amazing lessons. Also, I’ll only go when it’s an extreme emergency and when the pass is there. I will pick the perfect time to go when I will not be distracting anyone or missing learning time. Another reason I should get to go is that I can show you that I’m responsible. I won’t get into trouble, I’ll follow the rules and I’ll be fast. In addition, if you want to keep track of me there could be a sign out sheet. As you can see, I should be able to go to the bathroom whenever I want. Your student, Benito

24: February 22, 2010 Dear Ms. Walsh, I think we should have bathrooms outside by the mobiles for many important reasons. First of all, I think there would be fewer distractions inside the fourth grade hallway. There would be less running and talking in the fourth grade hallway, so the fourth graders would be able to focus on their learning more. Second of all, I think we should have bathrooms outside because then we will not waste our learning time by going into the school to use the bathroom. Another reason we should have bathrooms outside is so that if we have an emergency we will be able to get to the bathroom quickly and we won’t have any accidents. In conclusion, we should have bathrooms outside the mobiles because there would be fewer distractions, we will not waste our learning time and we won’t have any accidents. Sincerely, Estephany

25: February 22, 2010 Dear Dad, I believe that I should have a cell phone. First of all, if I get a phone, I will be safe. If I get lost, I will call you right away. Also, you will always have a way to contact me. Next, I will be responsible for my phone. I will take care of my phone. I will not drop it or lose it. Also, if you give me a phone, I will show you how tremendously responsible I am. I will not text or talk too much because then I will not be showing you that I am responsible. To summarize, if I get a phone, I will be safe and responsible. Your daughter, Zayra

26: February 22, 2010 Dear Dad, In my opinion, I should have my own bed. The reason I should have my own bed is that my big bed is too crowded to sleep in because I have to share it with my brother and sister. It’s so crowded that it is hard to sleep and I only get six hours of sleep a night. If I had my own bed, I would sleep longer and be ready for school the next morning. Also, I could relax and do my homework in my new bed. Another reason I should have my own bed is that I will be more comfortable. My siblings kick my legs at night, so they should sleep in a different place. Having my own bed will make my sleep phenomenal! All in all, having my own bed will help me sleep amazingly well. Love, Cris

27: February 22, 2010 Dear Ms. Walsh I think we should have more time at recess. First of all, in class we sit too much, we can’t talk to our friends very often and, most importantly, we don’t get exercise. We need extra time at recess to run, talk with our friends and exercise. Another reason I think we should have more time at recess is that we will become healthier by running and jumping. Also, I believe we should have additional time at recess so we can get rid of our extra energy and concentrate more in class. For example, we are sometimes too hyper to pay attention when the teacher is trying to teach, but if we used our extra energy we would be able to focus better. All in all, I believe we should have additional time at recess. Sincerely, Anni

28: February 15, 2010 Dear Ms. Walsh, We believe we should have more equipment on the playground at recess. First of all, having more equipment will make the playground safer. In other words, there will be less fighting because there will be enough balls, jump ropes and Frisbees for everyone. If there is less fighting, there will be fewer conduct reports, which means you will have more time to focus on your other jobs as principal. Secondly, playing with a variety of playground equipment will make us healthier. For example, when we play, we strengthen our hearts, muscles and minds. Also, if we are healthier, we will have fewer absences because we will not get sick as often. Finally, if we are playing more at recess, we will be calmer and will focus more on our work. Playing with the sports equipment at recess will help us use our extra energy so we won’t be hyper when we come back to class. To put it another way, by using our extra energy we will be able to focus more on our learning, which will increase our scores on CSAP. To summarize, having more equipment on the playground at recess will increase our safety, health and learning. Sincerely, Ms. Overton’s Literacy Class

29: This letter writing assignment addressed the following district writing standard: *Uses writing process effectively for a variety of purposes and audiences. Each student chose an audience and then created a set of points in an attempt to persuade that audience to favor his/her position. | The letter on the facing page was created through shared writing to serve as the model to teach the students the elements of a persuasive argument and letter. As a result of this letter, $250 was donated to FHE, and the principal was convinced to purchase playground equipment for all the students at Federal Heights Elementary School.